Case for cigarettes or cigars



July 9, 1940. H. LORANT 2,207,593

l CASE FOR CIGARETTES 0R CIGARS Filed, Jan. 22, 193s INVENTOR. hemd 0R/SWT ATTORNEY Patented July 9, 1940- UNITED STATES v'ATENT OFFICE 2,207,593 CASE FOR CIGARETTES 0R CIGARS Hermann vLrant, Vienna, Austria Application January 22, 1938, Serial No. 186,263 In Austria November 2 4, 1937 9 claims.y (c1. 20s-41.3) n

movement of the case,v and is only operated when the'lid of the case has moved through a certain lportionof its opening movement. I l

Ar form of construction embodying the invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows, in perspective View, a'case constructed in accordance with the present invention,

Figs. 2 to 5 show means for operating the attached automatic lighter, likewise 'in' perspective view, and i Fig. 6 is a side end view of the case, the lid of the case being in lifted position.

In the constructional example shown the invention is applied to that type of r.case in which the cigarettes or cigars are disposed in an inner case or lining which can `be so displaced in the main body of the case that it lifts the lid until a gap is formed between the lid andthe front of the case, while becoming itself tilted up at an angle, so that the ends'of the cigarettes or cigars mayv extend through the said gap. It will'be "clear however that the invention Ymayequally well be appropriately applied t0v cigarette or cigar cases of any other type. u l

Referring now to Fig. l, a indicates a housing velement for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes e or the like which is slidably arranged in the casing s. ASaid casing is provided with an opening at its rear portionwhich permits access to said housing element a. The housing element a maybe moved in the casing s inthe ydirection of the arrow lc if the user of the case presses with his nger against the side u of the housing velement being accessible through the above menztioned opening of the casing s. A lid I 0 normally closing the case is hingedto the casing s at I2. Suitable guiding means, for example inclinedsur- Afaces I4 or the like (see Figs. 1 and 6) arranged in the casing s, are adapted to 'cooperate with the housing element a, in order to cause a lifting` of the front portion of said housing element a, if the latl ter is advanced in the direction of the arrow lc.

When the front portion of the housing element a is lifted, the upper surface of the latter engages the lid I0 of the case, so that the housing element a,- in turn lifts said lid for opening the case, as shown in Fig. 6. During .the elevation of the lid I0 of the case, a gap is formed between the lid and the upper edge of the casing s, and the housing element or holder a is brought into an advanced position, in which the ends of the ciga-` rettes e projecting from the liftedfront portion of the housing element a. extend through said gap and may be easily grasped.

An automatic lighter'v is attached to the left hand side of the casing sin any suitable manner. The case is constructed in such a way, that`the operation of the actuating vmember or lid g of the lighter is retarded until the housingV element'fa has been moved into a predeterminedadvanced position past the intermediate position shown in Fig. 6. Figs. 2-5 illustrate the mechanism, by means of which a time interval or lag'mayy be obtained between the opening of the case and the operation of the lighter.

Fig. 2 shows the lighter actuating means in the position of rest. Springs disposed in the case and not shown in the drawing draw the inserted holder a in the direction indicated by the arrow b, and in this manner the inserted holder is kept pressed against the rear wall of the bodyof the case. By means of a linkage c, the inserted holder a is connected with a slide d. The right-hand end of the slide d bears against a lug portion c of a lever f, so that the above mentioned spring action is also brought to bear against the lever f. The .left-hand end of the lever f isprovided with a preferably rectangular aperture in which there engages a lug h obliquely attached to the lid y of the lighter. Owing to the pull exerted in the direction of the arrow the edge z' of the aperture in the lever bears against the left-hand end of the lug h and holds the lid g fastin the position of closure. To a lug p on( the slide d there is secured one end of a spring o thel other end of which is attached to the lug e on the lever f.

When the inserted holder a` cooperating with thev lid l0 of the case is moved in the direction of the arrow k (Fig. 3) the connecting piece c causes the slide d, and therefore through 'the intermediary of the spring o` the lever f also, to be 4shifted in the same direction, at rst to such an extent that'the edge l of the aperture in the lever f comes in contact with the right-hand end of the lug h. The lid Agr of the lighter remains still in the closed position. If the inserted holder a be still further pushed in the direction of the arrow lc the tension spring o is stressed until at the end of the first step of the movement of the holder a and the lid I0, the lug p touches the slopingsurface q on the lever f, whereby the movement of the holder a is interrupted. Now,

if the holder a is further advanced and carries out the second step of its movement, the lefthand end of the lever f, and with it the lid g, is lifted or rotated about the fixed pivot m by the action of the lug p on the sloping surface q until the right-hand end of h traverses the dead centre line n (Fig. 4). From this moment on the lever j becomes subject to the action of the spring O and is able to bring the lid g into the completely opened position. During the pivotal opening movement the lid g operates the remaining parts of the lighter in a known manner for the production off the igniting flame. Fig. 5 shows the position. of the parts when the lid g is'opened. The

spring o is then relieved of tension and the lug e on the lever f comes to the right-hand end of the slide d. If the inserted holder a, and with it the slide d, be then allowed to return, under the action of the springs acting upon the vholder and not shown in the drawing, into the original position by discontinuance of the pressure exerted upon the holder a. by the user of the case the slide d retracts the lever JV which in its turn closes or restores the lid'g into the initial position shown in Fig. 2.

In using the case the inserted holder is thus rst of all pushed in onlyV to such an extent that the cigarette ends protrude through the gap formed between the lid and the front wall of the case. Only after a cigarette or cigar has been taken is the holder further pressed in to operate the automatic lighter.

, I claim:

l. lA combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a 'casing having a storage compartment for cigarettes, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, 'actuating means movably arranged in said casing for lifting said lid in two steps, said actuating means being in operative connection with said lid, means for interrupting the movement of said actuating means in an intermediate position at the end of the iirst step of the lifting movement of the lid, connecting means disposed between said actuating means and the lighter, and means provided inconjunction with said connecting means for retarding the operation oi said lighter until said actuating means has been moved into a predetermined advanced position past said intermediate position.

A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing having a storage compartment Yfor cigarettes, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, actuating means movably arranged in said casing for lifting said lid, a movable arm, resilient means arranged'between ,said actuating means and one end of said arm, an actuating member pivotally arranged in said lighter for operating same, said actuating member being movably connected with the other end ofsaid arm, means for locking the arm in a predetermined position so as to subject said resilient means to tension when said actuting means is advanced for lifting the lid, and means for unlocking said arm and releasing said resilient means to swing the actuating member of the 4lighter about its pivot when said actuating means hasY been moved into a predetermined position. 3. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing having a storage compartment .for cigarettes, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, actuating means movably arranged in said casing for lifting said lid, a movable arm, resilient means arranged between saidactuating means and one end of said arm,

of said arm being provided with the "other end a polygonal opening, an actuating member pivotally arranged in said lighter for operating same, a lug arranged on said actuating member, said lug being in engagement with said opening and being adapted to slide therein, said lug locking the arm in a predetermined position so as to subject said resilient means to tension when said actuating means is advanced for lifting said lidv and an edge of said opening abuts against said lug, and means for unlocking said. arm and releasing said resilient means to swing the actuating member of the lighter about its pivot when said actuating means has been moved into a predetermined position.

4. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing having a storage compartment for cigarettes, a lid hinged to said casing and said arm, the other end of said arm being pro-` vided with a polygonal opening, a lug' arranged on said actuating member, said lug being in engagement with said opening and being adapted to slide therein, one corner of said polygonal opening being substantially inline with the pivot point of 'said actuating member in the lighter and the longitudinal axis of said spring when the connecting meansv are in normal position,

said lug locking. the arm in a predetermined posi.- tion so as to subject said spring to tension when said actuating means is advanced for lifting'said lid and said corner of said polygonal opening abuts against an edge of said lug, a cam arranged on said connecting means, said cam having any inclined surface, said `projecting portion of said slide member contacting said inclined surface of said cam to move said corner out ofv line with said pivot point and the longitudinal axis of said spring when said actuating means has. been moved into a predetermined position, whereby the arm is unlocked and the spring `is released to swing said actuating member of the llighter*l about its pivot for operating the lighter. n

5. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing, a movable housing element for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes slidably arranged in said casing, said movable housing element forming an ejecting means for ejectinga plurality of lcigarettes at the same time and being adapted lto be advanced in two steps, means for interrupting the movement'of said ejecting means in an intermediate position at the end of the normally closing same, actuating means movably rst step, connecting means disposed between said ejecting means and the lighter, and means provided in conjunction with said connecting means for retarding the operation of the lighter until said ejecting means has been moved into a predetermined advanced position past said intermediate position. 6. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, a movable housing ele# ment for the reception of Aa plurality of cigarettes` slidably arranged in said casing, means adapted to guide said movable housing element into a predetermined advanced position with its front part protruding from the uper edge of said 'cas- 75 ing element, a movable arm,

`to guide said movable housing ing, said housing element being adapted to lift said lid during its movement into said predetermined advanced position for an extent suiiicient to permit the passage of the front portion of said plurality of cigarettes, said casing being provided with an opening permitting access to said housing element, connecting means disposed between said housing element and said lighter, and means provided in connection with said connecting meansl for retarding the operation of said lighter until said housing element has been moved into said predetermined advanced position.

7. A combined cigarette case and lighter come prising: a casing, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, a movable housing element for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes slidably arranged in said casing, means adapted to guide said movable housing element into a predetermined advanced position with its front part protruding from the upper edge of said casing, said housing element being adapted to lift said lid during its movement into said predetermined advanced position for an extent sumcient to permit the passage of the front portion of said plurality of cigarettes, said casing being provided withv an opening permitting access to said housresilient means arranged between said housing element and one end of said arm, an actuating member pivotally arranged in said lighter for operating same, said actuating member being movably connected with the other end of said arm, means for locking the arm in a predetermined position so as to subject said resilient means to tension when said housing element is advanced for lifting the lid, and means for unlocking said arm and releasing said resilient means to swing the actuating member of the lighter about its pivot when said housing element has been moved into said predetermined position.

8. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, a movable housing element for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes slidably arranged in said casing, means adapted element into a predetermined advanced position with its front part protruding from the upper edge of said casing, said housing element being adapted to lift said lid during its movement into said predetermined advanced position for an extent suiicient to permit the passage of the front portion of said 'plurality of cigarettes, said casing being provided with an opening permitting access to said housing element, a movable arm, resilient means arranged between said housing element and one end of said arm, the other end of said arm being provided with a polygonal opening, an actuating member pivotallyy arranged in said lighter for operating same, a lug arranged on said actuating member, said lug being in engagement with said opening and being adapted to slide therein, said lug locking the arm in a predetermined position so as to subject said resilient means to tension when said housing element is advanced for lifting said lid and an edge 0i said opening abuts against said lug, and means for unlocking said arm and releasing said resilient means to swing the actuating member of the lighter about its pivot when said housing element has been moved into said predetermined position.

9. A combined cigarette case and lighter comprising: a casing, a lid hinged to said casing and normally closing same, a movable housing element for the reception of a plurality of cigarettes slidably arranged said casing, means adapted to guide said movable housing element into a predetermined advanced position with its front part protruding from the upper edge of said casing, said housing element beingl adapted to lift said lid during its movement into said predetermined advanced position for an extent suicient to permit the passage of the front portion of said plurality of cigarettes, said casing being provided with an opening permitting access to said housing element, connecting means disposed vbetween said housing element and said lighter,

said connecting means including an actuating member pivotally arranged in said lighter for operating same, a slide member connected to said housing element, an arm and a spring, said slide member having a projecting portion, said spring being arranged between said projecting Vportion and one end of said arm, the other end of said arm being provided with a polygonal opening, a lug arranged on said actuating member, said lug being in engagement with said opening and being adapted to slide therein, one corner of said polygonal opening being substantially in line with the pivot point of said actuating member in the lighter and the longitudinal axis of said spring when the connecting means are in normal position, said lug locking the arm in a predetermined position so as to subject said spring to tension when said housing element is advanced for lifting said lid and said corner of said polygonal opening abuts against an edge of said lug, f

a cam arranged on said connecting means, said cam having an inclined surface, said projecting portion of said slide member contacting said inclined surface of said cam to move said corner out of line with said pivot point and the longitudinal axis of said spring when said housing elel ment has been moved into said predetermined position, whereby the arm is unlocked and the spring is released to swing said actuating member of the lighter about its pivot for operating the lighter.

HERMANN LCR/ANT. 

